In the course of some reading this week I came across a passage that stuck out to me.
”We know that worry and fear are more about us than about the things outside us. They reveal what is valuable to us, and what is valuable to us in turn reveals our kingdom allegiances. We also know that God is patient and compassionate with us, and He gives grace upon grace. Though alert to our divided allegiances, He persists in calling us away from fear and worry, persuades us of the beauty of the kingdom, and gives us more than we can imagine.” (Edward T. Welch)
These words speak to the serial-worriers like me. You know who you are! You are probably worrying right now if you are a worrier or not! HA.
How do we deal with worry? That is the question that God placed on my heart today. Worry comes with the territory as human beings in a fallen world it seems. Between rising gas prices, the election, nuclear threats, employments issues, family drama, etc...we all have our fair share to consume our thoughts. Wouldn’t it be just fantastic if there was a quick fix? Bad news. Not that easy.
We learn as we journey along, that God does value strong foundations and often chooses gradual growth. This kind of foundation and growth is usually an overflow of time spent in the Word. If you are a worrier, you NEED to run to Scripture. You NEED to run to some specific scripture in God’s Word.
Focus on Psalm 27 today.
KNOW WHO YOU ARE
The beginning three verses in this Psalm exude confidence. In my own life, I have found, that the moments where I incessantly worry are also the moments when my self-image and self-esteem seem to have been crushed. These first four verses should be memorized. Remind yourself of God’s promises and who you are in Christ. Romans 8:31.
SIMPLIFY THINGS
Worriers like to complicate things. They like to over-think the details of life and issues at hand. Verses 4-7 give us the idea of focusing on “one thing”. Find that thing that is important, most important, and simplify your thoughts on that idea. The thought of David was simple. His “one thing” was that he might hide himself and his life in Christ. What a powerful “one thing”. What worry in life can compete with that thought?
PRAYER
The remainder of this Psalm is encompassed in David’s prayers. Prayer that he would truly participate and actively live the “one thing”. David’s heart was driven in this prayer to “Seek His Face”.
When worry begins to overtake your thoughts, life, and heart. RUN TO SCRIPTURE. I recommend beginning with Psalm 27.